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On 27 November, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, addressed the nation on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of National Independence.<\/p>\nOn 27 November, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, addressed the nation on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of National Independence.<\/p>\n
In his speech, the President of the Republic declared that in his vision for the future of our country, he placed the Mauritanian citizen at the center of development action and made them the primary destination for investment and<\/p>\n
the object of all public policies.<\/p>\n
He added that the foundations of this vision come, in their principle and in their objective, from a desire to build a homeland to which its sons are proud to belong, who make its defense an honor and who all participate in the<\/p>\n
management of its affairs.<\/p>\n
Here is the full text of that speech:<\/p>\n
“In the Name of Allah<\/strong><\/em>, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful <\/em><\/strong>and <\/strong>may prayers<\/strong><\/em> and peace<\/em> be upon<\/em> our prophet, Muhammad, <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Dear compatriots;<\/strong><\/p>\n I have the honor and great pleasure to extend to you, wherever you are, at home and abroad, my warmest congratulations on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the day of pride,dignity, and glory, the celebration of our memorable national Independence.<\/p>\n It is the anniversary of the emergence of a new hope for freedom, justice, fairness, progress, and prosperity.<\/p>\n A hope born from the joint military and cultural resistance action in defense of our freedom and the dignity of our land, led by our heroic fighters and our eminent scholars, all components of our proud people together.<\/p>\n Their valor and heroism will remain engraved in our collective memory forever, and will constitute for us, generation after generation, a source of inspiration and values of glory, greatness of soul, and pride of belonging to the homeland which<\/p>\n deserves sacrifice and loyalty.<\/p>\n These outstanding values fully inspire our armed and security forces, and instill in them the momentum of valor and the sense of sacrifice in their noble mission of defending the territorial integrity of the country, its sovereignty, and the security of its citizens.<\/p>\n To all of our forces, collectively and individually, officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, we express all our consideration and all our gratitude.<\/p>\n May we all spare a thought at this moment to pay tribute to all the martyrs of the homeland who fell on the field of honor.<\/p>\n Dear citizens;<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most determining factors in driving the renaissance and progress of nations and peoples undoubtedly remains the man\u2019s will and their hope, when coupled with reasonable means, to achieve this objective.<\/p>\n It is this factor which releases creative energies and strengthens collective effort, so that different fruitful initiatives come together, healthy competition stimulates beneficial action, and innovation serves to increase productionand accelerate development.<\/p>\n This is why, in our vision for the future of our country, we have placed the Mauritanian citizen at the center of development action, and have made them the primary destination for investment and the object of all public policies.<\/p>\n Whether these policies relate to the establishment of a modern State equipped with solid institutions serving citizens, with priority given to those among them most exposed to vulnerability and precariousness, or whether these policies concern the creation of a resilient and emerging economy, or the construction of a society proud of its diversity and reconciled with itself.<\/p>\n The foundations of this vision, in their principle and in their objective, stem from a desire to build a homeland to which its sons are proud to belong, who make its defense an honor, and who all participate in the management of its affairs.<\/p>\n A homeland that preserves the dignity, freedoms, religious and civilizational identity of its citizens, and their rich and diverse cultural heritage in a context where justice, security, and equity prevail and offers citizens the possibilities of progress and prosperity as well as opportunities to realize their hopes and aspirations.<\/p>\n The first condition for the proper implementation of this vision is stability and security;<\/p>\n condition that we have achieved, praise be to Allah, despite the increase in violence and terrorism as well as the prevalence of political and social crises in the region and in the World. This condition could not have been met without the help of Allah, the contribution of each of you and also the effective implementation of our security strategy in its different dimensions.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We also been able to achieve this thanks to our active diplomacy, based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, fruitful and constructive cooperation, and adherence to the values of peace, security, and fraternity between the peoples of the world.<\/p>\n As such, we have conducted a diplomacy without compromise or denial of our firm and constant support for just causes, such as the Palestinian cause which we consider that of an oppressed people, that of the sacredness of holy places and solidarity with our<\/p>\n brothers.<\/p>\n Our concern for security is matched only by our determination to rid ourselves once and for all of the various forms of injustice, marginalization, exclusion, poverty, and precariousness, in accordance with our constant principle of support for our most vulnerable citizens<\/p>\n with the lowest incomes.<\/p>\n To face these phenomena, we have accelerated and intensified support for our citizens most exposed to poverty, vulnerability, marginalization, and exclusion, by putting in place a broad, multidimensional social safety net<\/p>\n through various mechanisms to avoid the deterioration of their living conditions and strengthen their resilience. On a second level, we have redoubled our efforts to fill the gaps and correct the economic, social, and political imbalances, both structural and institutional, which are at the origin of these unacceptable phenomena.<\/p>\n Despite the serious crises that have crossed the world, shaken economies, and called into question development projects and plans in all countries, including the most developed and the most well-off, we have been able to obtain, on these two levels,<\/p>\n very significant results. The safety net we have put in place continues to expand in terms of the number of beneficiaries and the diversification of forms of support, such as cash transfers, food subsidies, health insurance, and facilities in the health area, particularly the medical care of patients suffering from cancer and kidney failure and the payment of monthly subsidies for their benefit. Over the past four years, the cost of social spending amounted to approximately MRO 623 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In addition, we have made efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens can access land ownership within the framework of numerous programs, the latest of which the New Life Project (Projet Nouvelle Vie) will allow in its first phase the allocation of plots to 9,118<\/p>\n families in a fully serviced housing development, as well as access to adequate housing thanks to the construction of 2,300 housing units<\/strong>, the work of which is either completed or in the process of being completed.<\/p>\n All these actions are carried out with the aim of contributing to the realization of citizens’ legitimate aspirations for a new dignified and decent life.<\/p>\n The establishment of a comprehensive and effective social protection system, despite the great achievements made, still requires a lot of effort.<\/p>\n But the vision for its realization exists, the strength of determination and will is present. The foundations of this social project have been completed and its building, which is beginning to take shape, will be completed with the help of Allah and thanks to the efforts of all.<\/p>\n However, whatever the level of social support, it cannot constitute a lasting solution to the problem of poverty, precariousness, disparities, and exclusion, without it being accompanied by a proactive and<\/p>\n effective action to tackle the main causes of these phenomena, namely structural imbalances in institutional and political governance, as well as social and economic governance.<\/p>\n To remedy these imbalances, we have worked to enshrine and consolidate the principle of the separation of powers, and we have placed emphasis on reforming the judicial system, because the judiciary is the main pillar of any rule of law.<\/p>\n It is in this capacity that we are currently working on the implementation of the consultative document on justice reform to modernize the judiciary and strengthen its independence.<\/p>\n We have also made openness to all, dialogue, and consultation a strategic choice in our approach to managing public affairs, which has allowed us to establish the primacy of agreement over fundamentals without prejudice to differences that can be expressed within a general framework of responsibility and respect.<\/p>\n This approach has made it possible to calm political life thanks to the responsiveness and will of each of you, particularly the political forces to transcend the crises and tensions which had previously marked the political scene.<\/p>\n This appeasement has contributed to strengthening our social cohesion and our national unity, thus protecting us from the destructive crises that the world has recently experienced and at least to suffer as little damage as possible.<\/p>\n It also made it possible, thanks to consultation between the different political forces, to organize legislative, regional, and municipal elections on a fully consensual basis which governs their rules and the modalities of their conduct.<\/p>\n We also wanted to involve all actors in the management of public affairs, consolidate decentralization, strengthen proportionality to broaden the base of representation, and establish a new electoral list to ensure representation in the elective spheres of young people and peoplewith specific needs, with a concern for equity and the rejection of all forms of marginalization, injustice, and exclusion.<\/p>\n Likewise, we have consolidated individual and collective freedoms and fought against negative social stereotypes, emphasizing the need to move away from these mentalities and practices contrary to the precepts of Sharia, the requirements of the law, and the concept of the modern State just as they harm social cohesion and national unity.<\/p>\n We have also fought against all actions contrary to human rights, by working to implement the national plan to combat human trafficking, through an appropriate legal arsenal and a road map to harmonize laws with ratified international treaties in this regard, as well as through capacity building of civil society organizations working in the field of human rights.<\/p>\n Alongside all these achievements, a vast reform effort at the level of economic governance, including actions to reform the public procurement system, simplification and modernization of the tax system, and adoption of a new approach to combating<\/p>\n corruption based on institutionalization, rigor, and continuity. This made it possible to increase the level of control over public spending, favoring the financing of social projects and programs while reducing recourse to loans to support our efforts to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio, which went from 70% in 2019 to 43% in 2022.<\/p>\n These judicious economic choices have allowed our economy to return to recovery and to suffer the least damage caused by the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war, as evidenced by the GDP growth rate of 6.4%<\/strong> recorded in 2022 and which is expected to reach 6.8%<\/strong> in 2024.<\/p>\n At the same time, our efforts to control inflation continued, with it expected to reach 4.5%<\/strong> by the end of the year, after having been around 11%<\/strong> in 2022.<\/p>\n All these reforms have made it possible to maintain important economic balances, as well as to improve the level of access, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to basic services such as water, electricity, education, and<\/p>\n health.<\/p>\n Access to drinking water reached 72.33% and work has progressed on important projects including, without being exhaustive:<\/p>\n \u2013 the project to extend the distribution network in several areas of the moughataas of Arafat, Toujounine, Riyadh, and El Mina,<\/p>\n \u2013 the second phase of the Aftout Charghi drinking water supply project,<\/p>\n \u2013 the project to supply the city of Walata with drinking water from Dhar,<\/p>\n \u2013 the project to supply the towns of Aioun and Djiguenni from Dhar,<\/p>\n \u2013 the project to supply drinking water to the town of Kiffa and its neighboring areas, using river water,<\/p>\n \u2013 the search for a definitive solution to the water problem in Nouadhibou, from Boulenwar and the seawater desalination plants,<\/p>\n \u2013 the completion of the study of a project aimed at providing water to 156 villages and communities located between Boghe and El Ghayra from the river, and whose work will begin soon.<\/p>\n Likewise, for the first time since the country’s independence, the government is currently working on launching a large-scale sanitation project in the city of Nouakchott.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the rate of access to electricity has reached 91.8% in urban areas and 56% throughout the national territory at a time when several structuring projects are being implemented to improve it.<\/p>\n The following projects were thus completed:<\/p>\n \u2013 the rural electrification project in the eastern region of Aftout, which will cover the Selibaby-Monguel-M\u2019Bout triangle,<\/p>\n \u2013 Le projet d\u2019\u00e9lectrification de 22 villages de la wilaya du Trarza,<\/p>\n \u2013 Le projet de la ligne 225 KV entre Nouakchott et Keur-Mac\u00e8ne,<\/p>\n \u2013 the 100 MW wind power plant project in Boulenouar, already in operation.<\/p>\n \u2013 the installation of the second circuit on the Nouakchott-Nouadhibou line,<\/p>\n \u2013 the project to electrify 22 villages in the wilaya of Trarza,<\/p>\n \u2013 The 225 KV line project between Nouakchott and Keur-Macene,<\/p>\n Note also the progress of the work on the project to strengthen power stations in 50 Moughataas.<\/p>\n Work is underway in:<\/p>\n \u2013 the network extension project with a length of (3000) km, in the wilayas of Trarza, Brakna, Gorgol, and Guidimagha.<\/p>\n \u2013 the electrification project for areas with agricultural and pastoral capacities in the wilayas of the two Hodhs and Assaba through the construction of hybrid stations and isolated distribution networks,<\/p>\n \u2013 the electrification project for 46 villages in the wilayas of Brakna and Trarza.<\/p>\n Work on the medium voltage network loop project on the Kaedi-Lekseiba-M\u2019Bout-Selibaby-Bediam-Diaguili-Gouraye-Maghama-Kaedi line will begin soon.<\/p>\n We are also mobilizing resources for the construction of a high voltage line linking Nouakchott to Nema, which will form a new electrical hope line.<\/p>\n A roadmap for the development of green hydrogen is also being completed.<\/p>\n Furthermore, access to educational services has improved, both quantitatively and qualitatively, thanks to a 79%<\/strong> increase in the number of teachers compared to 2019, the extension of school infrastructure through construction<\/p>\n of 3,600 classrooms, and an increase in the number of school canteens by 140%<\/strong>, increasing the number of schools with canteens from 512 schools in 2019 to 1,379<\/strong> schools in 2023.<\/p>\n All these improvements were made as part of a global and profound reform of our education system, marked by the launch, last year, of the Republican school project, allowing our children to benefit, under equal conditions,<\/p>\n from an effective educational service which qualifies our young people to engage actively and effectively in professional life.<\/p>\n Youth is the force of ambition, hope, and creative energy of the nation.This is why we have spared no effort to enable it to play its role as an authentic actor in development.This is why we have and continue to work to strengthen its presence in different decision-making circles.<\/p>\n In addition to training, qualification, and access to active professional life, we have supported professional training and developed centers and institutes, the number of which we have increased, as well as higher professional establishments such as the Higher School of Commerce, the Higher Institute of Digitization, and the School of Vocational and Technical Training in the fields of energy, oil, and gas.<\/p>\n A new university complex with a capacity of 11,000 students has been built and work is underway for the construction in Toujounine of a university for scientific disciplines with the assistance of the sisterly state of the United Arab Emirates that I thank warmly here.<\/p>\n We have also intensified job creation and financing of income-generating projects.<\/p>\n For the current year alone, we have been able to train and qualify 11,000 young people from initial training, and provide continuing training for around 8,500 young people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In addition, health infrastructure was developed, including hospitals, health centers, and health points, with the completion of construction and equipment works of two regional hospitals, each with a capacity of one hundred<\/p>\n fifty (150) beds in Atar and Selibaby, and the progress of work in three regional hospitals in Aioun, Aleg, and Tidjikja, and the completion of expansion and equipment work at the Specialty Medical Center.<\/p>\n Furthermore, efforts were focused on training and upgrading health personnel and ensuring the availability of medical supplies as well as medicines.Also, the services of the Health Solidarity Fund intended for the informal sector were launched.<\/p>\n Since the development of all basic services requires modern road infrastructure, we have made great efforts in this area, which has enabled the completion of more than 700 km of asphalt roads and the advancement of many other infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n Thus, work is progressing on the Tidjikja-Ould Yenge road, and work on the Atar-Chinguitti and Sawata-Monguel-Barkeol roads will begin in the weeks and months to come.<\/p>\n A major project to improve the fluidity of urban transport was also launched in Nouakchott. Work on the Bamako bridge will be completed before the end of the year, and work on the El Haye Essaken, Madrid, and Rosso bridges will be completed before the end of 2024.<\/p>\n Alongside all these achievements, the design and continued implementation of integrated development policies for our productive sectors has made it possible to achieve a rice self-sufficiency rate of 89%, a 42% increase in national cereal production compared to its 2019 level, the development of 8,854 hectares of agricultural areas, the establishment of hydraulic axes with a length of 197 km, and the opening up and electrification of production areas.<\/p>\n The budget allocated to animal health has also been significantly increased.<\/p>\n A large ambitious project was implemented to support the livestock sector and the fund for the promotion of this sector was activated while a policy to strengthen good governance and optimize fishery resources was adopted to preserve their sustainability and ensure their integration into the national economic circuit.<\/p>\n The mining sector has also been given crucial importance due to its central role in economic development.<\/p>\n In this context, we have developed and implemented a development plan for the National Industrial and Mining Company aimed at increasing its production by 2030. Thanks to this plan, the company’s production should reach 14million tons this year for the first time in its history.<\/p>\n In the same context, the first stone of the Fderik project was laid, which will increase the company’s production by at least two million tons.<\/p>\n A feasibility study has also been launched for the Tiziraghaf mine, which is expected to have a production capacity of six million tons.<\/p>\n Negotiations are currently underway between the company and some of its partners to launch the Elouj project which will have a production capacity of 11 million tons.<\/p>\n Exceptional efforts have been made to organize and supervise small-scale gold mining activities in conditions that favor various segments of society to benefit from this wealth and the thousands of job opportunities it offers to young people.<\/p>\n These efforts have also generated a significant increase in the number of industrial units and the quantity of gold production, thus opening up promising prospects for the sector.<\/p>\n Dear citizens;<\/strong><\/p>\n It is clear from all of the above, and despite the destructive crises that have shaken the world and the economic, social, and political situation that we have inherited, that we have been able, over the last four years, to obtain, thanks to<\/p>\n efforts of each of you, very significant results.<\/p>\n We enjoy stability and security, our economic situation is comfortable, the main indicators reflect a macroeconomic balance supported by great confidence from our partners, and all prospects portend enormous opportunities to realize our aspirations, including the opportunities that<\/p>\n will not fail to offer the dozens of major projects currently under construction, and the approach of the date of export of our gas wealth.<\/p>\n However, as numerous and important as they are, these opportunities can only have a real impact to the extent that the citizen is sufficiently prepared, well trained, and qualified, and that they adhere to the values of work, effort,and the virtues of self-sacrifice and perseverance.<\/p>\n I am fully confident that thanks to our mutual assistance and the strength of our determination, we will be able to make the most of the various opportunities offered by our current situation and by the promising prospects that are emerging, to build together the Nation to which we aspire:<\/p>\n That of fraternity, solidarity, justice, and global sustainable development.<\/p>\n Long live a free, independent, and prosperous Mauritania.<\/strong><\/p>\n May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.”<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On 27 November, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, addressed the nation on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of National Independence. In his speech, the President of the Republic declared that in his vision for the future of our country, he placed the Mauritanian citizen at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3078,3085,3077,2,3081],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7","category-main-news-show","category-mauritanias-slider","category-show","category-2","category-slider-show"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12656\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ami.mr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}